Fenders.

[LondonRascal]

Hi Phil, welcome to the Forum.

Now, there is nothing wrong with blue fenders - in fact, I think they compliment boats rather well and don;t show the muck up as much as white ones do for example.

Now, you see I am one of 4 people who own Broad Ambition - maybe you know of this boat, but she lives in the Wet Shed at Stalham.  In order to protect her bow from nudges in the shed, we have five blue fenders hanging off of it.  Upon taking her out all owners go through a various 'drill' or preparing her for departure and part of that is removing all five fenders from the bow and stowing them.

A well known boat of the Broads and with many videos seen by many thousands on You Tube you could say she is easily spotted - and with three ex RN owners who like things very much 'ship shape' it would of course be a most cardinal of sins to depart the shed and proceed in public with said fenders on her bow dangling.

I did just this.

A single blue fender displayed from Stalham to Wroxham an Wroxham to Salhouse - to a very public meet of this Forum no doubt. And so there was no getting away with it, and from that day forward I became the founding and only member of the 'Blue Fender Club' and no doubt will never live down this event.

Now, moving on from the above, I fear I sound a little rude in saying this, but you see a great number of people are none too sure what the purpose of fenders are - they seem to assume they are there as some kind of super collision absorption system when in fact they simply to avoid a boats hull making contact with a hard, rough quay for example.  So there very need is only when one comes alongside something - a quay, another boat, a muddy bank.

To therefore have them 'deployed' when underway is not needed. I like the fact that bringing them on deck causes the boat to look nicer, sleeker you might say and good old fashion practice of cheesing down ropes removes risk of them slipping into the water and being caught around the prop, or catching someone out tangling a foot in them as walking around deck.

[addicted]

While entering a lock pen in a howling wind we got pinned up against the concrete wall at the entrance, a  hired narrow boat being helmed by rank novices attempted to go past us into the lock pen and was slammed by the wind into  the side of our boat, if we hadn't had  fenders all along the side of our hull at staggered levels the damage would have been catastrophic. As it was we had none at all, unbelievably

So I disagree with your assertion Robin -big time!

 

 

Carole

[LondonRascal]

Well, with respect Carole what you have posted is an example where of course fenders should be deployed and one would be silly not to have them set in readiness. In my post, I was referring to fenders not being deployed when cursing along - on the rivers of the Broads, not a Canal.

In the example you gave, you are coming into an area where you may be needing to moor or stop and as a result loose steerage way as you entered a Lock Pen. It was windy too, so a great deal of things could have happened even if the other boater was not to have been foolish in their choosing this moment to pass you. Without their actions, there was a good chance the wind would have pushed you into the concrete and caused some damage to the hull of your boat so fenders were a must.

To my mind however,  this was not what I would term a collision, but more  'a coming together of two boats'. The wind pushing one onto another and thus the inner boat also into the concrete. A collision to me, is where a boat will at some speed make contact directly into another boat while under power - usually when mooring. It will do so with such force that fenders are ripped clean through from their eye and actual damage is caused to the hull of both boats. Having seen this sort of thing happen,  there always seems some surprise that the fenders did not stop damage being caused and an under estimation of what forces are involved.

You can't always use fenders mind you - on some canals such as the Llangollen, a narrow boat using fenders as it enters a Lock will struggle, since the locks are so narrow and just a tiny bit wider than the narrow boat itself and using a fender here will just jam the narrow boat in the Lock and of course when one leaves harbour at sea they should always be stowed. 

[addicted]

Narrow boats use entirely different fenders , flatties and pipe style ones. Wevfound the flatties were useful when negotiating a  particularly narrow lock.

 

 

Carole

 

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LondonRascal said:

Hi Phil, welcome to the Forum.

Now, there is nothing wrong with blue fenders - in fact, I think they compliment boats rather well and don;t show the muck up as much as white ones do for example.

Now, you see I am one of 4 people who own Broad Ambition - maybe you know of this boat, but she lives in the Wet Shed at Stalham.  In order to protect her bow from nudges in the shed, we have five blue fenders hanging off of it.  Upon taking her out all owners go through a various 'drill' or preparing her for departure and part of that is removing all five fenders from the bow and stowing them.

A well known boat of the Broads and with many videos seen by many thousands on You Tube you could say she is easily spotted - and with three ex RN owners who like things very much 'ship shape' it would of course be a most cardinal of sins to depart the shed and proceed in public with said fenders on her bow dangling.

I did just this.

A single blue fender displayed from Stalham to Wroxham an Wroxham to Salhouse - to a very public meet of this Forum no doubt. And so there was no getting away with it, and from that day forward I became the founding and only member of the 'Blue Fender Club' and no doubt will never live down this event.

Now, moving on from the above, I fear I sound a little rude in saying this, but you see a great number of people are none too sure what the purpose of fenders are - they seem to assume they are there as some kind of super collision absorption system when in fact they simply to avoid a boats hull making contact with a hard, rough quay for example.  So there very need is only when one comes alongside something - a quay, another boat, a muddy bank.

To therefore have them 'deployed' when underway is not needed. I like the fact that bringing them on deck causes the boat to look nicer, sleeker you might say and good old fashion practice of cheesing down ropes removes risk of them slipping into the water and being caught around the prop, or catching someone out tangling a foot in them as walking around deck.

Thank you and to others for the welcome,

I am familiar with BA, since as kids in the sixties we used to hire from Ernest Collins, BA would have been in the Powles yard as a "Star something", I have also seen some of the U tube videos which are fascinating.

Thanks for clarifying the "Blue Fender" thing, but having bought some new white fenders to replace the tatty white ones, I guess I'll stick with white now. Founder and only member of the the "Blue Fender Club" is indeed an honor and whilst I can understand you would wish to maintain that exclusivity, are you empowered to issue Blue Fender Awards to those caught committing similar sins and misdemeanors as you were indeed caught in the act of? 

I tend to agree with your comments regarding their deployment underway as the chance of another boat hitting one of 4 twelve inch diameter fenders instead of the remaining  exposed 36 foot of gel coat or teak is pretty slim.

Phil

[ranworthbreeze]

1 hour ago, LondonRascal said:

You can't always use fenders mind you - on some canals such as the Llangollen, a narrow boat using fenders as it enters a Lock will struggle, since the locks are so narrow and just a tiny bit wider than the narrow boat itself and using a fender here will just jam the narrow boat in the Lock and of course when one leaves harbour at sea they should always be stowed. 

I agree with that Robin; Carol not even the flatties can be used on some canals, I have seen these pulled from boats that have been caught up on the brickwork by the fenders. we have not used them if they have been fitted to hire boats, they are more trouble than their worth.

On the  Scottish Canals all locks are manned and the longest of two boats sharing a lock is request to go into a lock first, followed by the shorter boat, both crews have to use the rope rails set into the side of the locks.

Regards

Alan

[Timbo]

Having been 'spdoinged' in the past by an Oxygen Thief and Bash Merchant, as Martin would put it, RT's fenders will be staying down the sides of the boat, albeit in a different orientation than they used to be.  Uncle Albert (RN Boat Squadron) always deployed fenders on inland waters on hire boats and RT to stave off 'Dockyard Maties' and 'Saturday Admirals'. Here's the rationale. You're on a pleasure cruiser and not in the navy, you have limited space to store fenders, you may need to deploy more than one fender to 'fend off' and fastened around the side they are close to hand, the deck is for traversing the boat 'not sticking clobber on', if you lose a fender you didn't tie it on correctly and last but not least 'your stupid dog will trip over it lad and fall in the water!'. Funny, I can even hear his tone of voice.

On the whole, I am helming single handed. Pratting about lifting and deploying fenders is just making life difficult for no reason at all.

[Malanka]

+100

 

M

[LondonRascal]

3 minutes ago, Timbo said:

Pratting about lifting and deploying fenders is just making life difficult for no reason at all.

I agree, this is why I just have a 'Bow Lady' to do all the hard work

[addicted]

Brilliant Timbo! Good old Uncle Albert could always be relied on to tell it like it should be!

 

 

Carole

[grendel]

Tim, why not nick a couple of those long pipes that washed ashore and tow them one either side of RT, that will keep the beggars off.

[MauriceMynah]

I see it this way. ...

My fenders are the only thing dirtier than my decks. Why the hell would I want THOSE THINGS on board.

[CambridgeCabby]

4 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I see it this way. ...

My fenders are the only thing dirtier than my decks. Why the hell would I want THOSE THINGS on board.

Hopefully your mate has cleaned them too , trouble is you won't be recognised when returning to "The Land where The Bong-Trees Grow"

[BroadAmbition]

I am familiar with BA, since as kids in the sixties we used to hire from Ernest Collins, BA would have been in the Powles yard as a "Star something",

Star Supreme 1 to be precise. R641  1966  all timber construction.   The following five Star Supremes had tupperware hulls with woody topsides / fit out

Griff

[ExUserGone]

10 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

The following five Star Supremes had tupperware hulls

That makes sense, a much better way to build a boat....

[Broads01]

I'm with you on this Tim, especially as I do some single handed helming as well. You guys that lift fenders seem to be saying you're doing so to make the boat look better, but does it really? I can sort of understand that with a timber boat like BA but why go through all the faff for every single mooring? 

[BroadAmbition]

Well we have been doing it for so many years now, initially with hire craft for as long as I can remember and with 'B.A' it has just sorta been the norm, it has become so routine even if it's howling it down.  I solo crew often and the fenders are still up whilst underway as are berthing ropes cheesed down,  just have to plan ahead a bit more and get ones sen organised.  It ain't no faff at all really.  But I do agree that it is more understandable with a timber (Proper    )  boat

Griff

[Polly]

We had a 'confessional' at the Birthday Meet, and a Blue Fender Award went to the story where the greatest chaos was caused. By common consent it went to Warp and Jessica for a moment with a lost mudweight line and a Good Samaritan dinghy.  Griff may recall the incident?  

We plan to award again at the Spring Meet, so get search your consciences if you are coming!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

I am familiar with BA, since as kids in the sixties we used to hire from Ernest Collins, BA would have been in the Powles yard as a "Star something",

Star Supreme 1 to be precise. R641  1966  all timber construction.   The following five Star Supremes had tupperware hulls with woody topsides / fit out

Griff

I have to admire well maintained wood boats and I look forward to seeing BA close up.

My first visit to the broads was in a Windboats woody, I was too young to remember anything though, as I was very young and probably slept in an open drawer somewhere. We came again a few years later when "sis" and myself were a bit bigger for annual holidays

and that is where where my fascination of boats began. Whilst still young but old enough to remember, in those days people used to shout "fenders down"  if indeed you were cruising with fenders down, which is probably where my complex stems from. 

[Timbo]

Just now, Philosophical said:

well maintained wood boats

All wooden boats are well maintained...it's just that some are more well maintained than others! 

[Guest]

Sorry!

[Timbo]

8 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

Sorry!

Don't worry I will get that boat of mine from off of those barrels in the dry shed one of these days soon! Stop laughing at me you guys! 

[JanetAnne]

Just now, Timbo said:

Don't worry I will get that boat of mine from off of those barrels in the dry shed one of these days soon! Stop laughing at me you guys! 

I think you meant to use this one Tim...

[Malanka]

Not laughing Timbo. We need to stick together against the Tupperware tonnage.

Must confess still fancy a princess 60... 55 at a pinch....just need that lottery win.

one can acquire a Branston 40 for a snippet under 900,000 squids. A snip no luxury toys though just basic. I even have a brochure just in case I win ... 

[LondonRascal]

I like a nice Fairline Sqaudron or Trader 575 for the lovely interiors - I'd make sure it had blue fenders naturally and could take B.A as 'a tender;